Measuring device for lubricating systems



July 25, 1950 F. s. SCHWEISTHAL 2,515,427

MEASURING DEVICE FOR LUBRICATING SYSTEMS Filed Jan. 1, 1945 Q m w l l l w z w 6 k a w a Patented July 25, 1950 UNilT1511).-

MEAsUnmG'nEvioE FonLUBmoA'rmei SYSTEMSY Frederick schweisthal, Skolrieflllaiasslgnor to Stewart Warner' (iorporatiom;

oorporation of virginia Application January 1, IMS QSBriaI No. 570,931 3' Glaims'. (Cl-4184*?? My invention relates generally to l'ubrlcating apparatus, and more particularly te lubricant charge measuring devic'es ior use in centralized lubricating systems;

This invention 1 is an improvement I upon the measuring device shown-in the patent-to Teal, No:- 2,205,320; In the construction-shown'in said patent, there was the-ever present possibilitythat lubricant would bypass the measuring piston if the back pressure, ofiered by the resistance of the bearing to which thedevice was connected, became sufficiently high. Under such circumstances,- the lubricantflowto thebearing might be-at such a lowrate that*the' 'pressure drop through the passageways of the piston would be insufficient to cause actuation of the piston;

In the measuring device 'disolosed' herein, the passageway through the piston is provided-"with a spring-loaded check' valve so that lubricant can not bypass the piston except when the pressure differential upon the opposite sides thereofexceedsa predetermined" minimum "value,- such value being more than sufficient -to cause' the" pis ton-toexecute a complete-dischargestroke. How ever, an-additional bypassg'ofvery' restricted cross sectional area; is provided'so asto assureequalb zation of the pressure 'on' oppositesidesmi the piston-at the'end-of the return stroke;

It is therefore an object; of my invention 'to provide an improvedimeasuring device for' lubricatill g systems, which-will operate accurately to discharge a-measuredl charge or lubricant even though i the resistance r .to flow of lubricant into the bearing may beextremelyhighn A .further object is to provide'an improved measuring device, for-use'in centrllizedlubricafl ingxsystems; in which the passageway through the measuring: vpiston: is provided with a spring loaded check valve.

A further object is'i to provide' anrimproved measuring device. for.centralized.lubricatingfsystems, which operates more rapidly: and-positively than comparableiprior, device's;-

Other iobjectst will: appear from: tharonowing description, reference being" had" to: the==accompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. 1 is acentral-verticalisectionar view of' the measuring: device showniasaattachedto a bearing to be periodically supplied with a me'asure'd chargeof lubricant;

Fig. 2 is-a central vertical sectionalriewiotth piston, shownto an enlarged scale; and? Fig.3 is a: central. vertical.'sectionaleviewiorra modified form. of s-pistonx assembly.v

. The measuring; -devic'ecomprisesza-a body 210 Chicago, =Ill.-,, a

having"a measuringlcylinder or bore -I 2exten'ding substantially".the length thereof; the upper end of the-'bore l z being'provided with a counterbore l4 i'or the reception: of suitable packing l6 and is threaded at l s to receive an end cap} 20". The latter storm-s agland to "hold the packing It in place; andal'soserves asaguid'e for a piston-rod 2-2 whiclr may be secured to or formed integrally with a measuring piston z l -reciprocabledn the bore l2; The cap 2 0? has milled chordal slots R te-render visible the end of the piston rod 22 An adjustable screw-= 28 is threaded in the bore formed in the end' c'ap 20-, and forms an-upper stop to limitthe stroke of the piston 24- and thereby-adjust for the quantity of lubricant -to be dischargedupon e'a'ch'operation of the mealsuring valve: 1 Y

As best shown in Fig; 2, the piston 2 has a relatively-large passageway 30 and a smaller passageway 32 extending therethrough. The lower endoi' the 'p'assageway 3B is normally closed by arr-annular discvalve 34 which is freely s'lidable upon 'a' shoulderedand headed stud 36'. The Valve {t l -is held against the-lower face of the pis ton 24' by a dished annular spring washer '38."

The passageway 32 is provided with a radial port Ml l'eadin'g beyond the peripheral edge of thevalvest. Thepassageway 32 also has-an enlarged check-valve chamber 42 in which a ball checkvalve M- i'sretained by' swaged prongs 4B,

thec'heck'valve'cooperating with a seat 58 'soas to' prevent *flow of lubricant downwardly through the-passageway- 32.

A tubular-valveseat member 5E1 is pressedinto the 'discharge end of-the body l0, providing an annular space for thereception' of a helical compressioncoil spring 523 A discharge valve 54, which'may bemad'e of v a suitable synthetic rubberlikematerial; resistant to deterioration" by immersionin oilsand greases,-is bonded or otherwise-suitably secured to a spring saddle 561 At the endof the 'downward stroke of the'piston 24, the valve i l is'adapted to be pressed against a seating surface 58, 1ocated at the-end'of thevalve seat-member 50, by the stud 36.

Thevalvebody l'llis illustrated as being threadediima bearing: 60 of I conventional construction, while lubricant'is supplied to the upper end =of the'iboreiii2 through-a pipe 62. It will be under stoodithat 'the pipe' BZ is connected to a source of lubricant suohias'a high pressure pump, which operateslintermittently 'to supply'lubricant under highfpressure;andzthat thevpressure in pipe 62 is substantially-relieved between the intermittent applicationssof pressure. Any r'oth'er suitabl forces of the piston 24 in its bore l2 and of the.

piston rod 22 in its packing 16.

For convenience in description of the operation i ill of the device, that portion of the bore -|2 above the piston 24 will be referred to as spac'eA,..while .the pistonM' that portion of the bore beneath will be referred to as space B.

Assuming that the spacesA and B, a well as the connecting passageways, are completely filled with lubricant, and that the the position shown in Fig. 1, an application of lubricant pressure through the pipe 62 will cause the piston 24 to move downwardly, forcing the lubricant from space E into the bearing 60. As the piston moves downwardly, its stud 36 engages the spring saddle 56 and forces the valve 54 toward its seating surface 58. Thus this valve eventually stops the downward movement of the piston 24 and cuts oif the discharge of the lubricant to the bearing.

; Assuming continued application of lubricant pressure, the pressure in the space A will increase to a value suflicient to overcome the force of the annular spring 38, whereupon the valve 34 will open and the lubricant will flow through the passageway 30, substantially equalizing the pressures in spaces A and B. It will be understood that when the downward movement of the piston 24 is arrested as the valve 54 is forced-against its seat 5 8, the pressure in the space B may be substantially less than the pressure in space A. Thus the upper surface of valve 34 is subjectedto greater pressure than is acting upon its lower surface. Since the force due to this difference in pressure and acting downwardly upon the valve 34 will be suflicient to overcome the force applied by the spring washer 38, the valve 34 will be unseated to an extent sufiicient to permit substantial equalization of the pressures in spaces A and B. The valve 34 need not move more than an extremely minute distance from its seat to permit such substantial equalization of the pressure of the lubricant on the opposite sides of the piston 24. In fact, the slightest leakage of lubricant past the valve 34, due to unavoidable imperfections inthevalve 34 and its seating surface on the lower face of the piston 24 will be effective in a short time to result in this pressure equalization, and irrespective of the character of the lubricant being used, the pressure within the space B will be raised quickly to be substantially equal to that in the space A. Under these circumstances, the piston will commence moving upwardly due to the greater efiectivearea of the lower face of the piston, since it will be noted that the piston rod 22 is exposed to atmospheric pressure. As a result, the piston will be moved upwardly until its piston rod 22 contacts the adjustable screw 28. When this occurs, the check valve 34 will seat to close the passageway 30,. and upon subsequent reduction in the pressure of the lubricant supplied through the pipe 62,- the pressure in the space B becomes relatively greater than that in the space A, the pressure in space B being sufi'icient to hold the valve 54 seated against the Iorce of the spring 52. However. under these 4 i --"-'-'1n-th1s insta'nce sufficient clearance between the valve .68 and the stud 36 to provide a passageway for the flow of lubricant from space parts are initially in circumstances the lubricant flows at a slow rate through the port 40 and passageway 32, past the free check valve 44 and into the space A so as to equalize the pressures in spaces A and B. The pressure in space E is reduced sufficiently to permit the spring 52 to raise the valve 54 from its seat, and the-parts of the-device are thus returned tonormafpos ition, in condition for a subsequent cycle of operation.

(1 In the modified form of piston structure shown .mF a s l characters applied thereto. in this construction the piston parts have had similar reference It will be noted that 24 has but a single passageway 66, which is normally closed by a valve-:68 having a peripher-al bead 10. There is restricted B vtospa'ce A, which takes place at the end of the operating cycle as thepiston reaches the upper end ,ofxits stroke. This passageway permits equalization of the pressure in the spaces A and B se-thatthe pressure in the space B may :drop sufficiently to permit the valve-54 to open. 'I'he piston construction of Fig. 3 is not as positive. as that of Figs. 1 and 2, in that under extreme conditions, such as when the lubricant used is a heavy;grease, and when the temperature is very lowv while the bearing resistance is very high, there may be some bypass of lubricant through thepassageway B6. The passageway provided by the clearance between the valve 68 and stud 36, makes it possible for some lubricant to leak to the bearing without causing the piston 24 to commence its downward stroke. The clearance between the valve 68 and stud 35 should, therefore, be sufficiently small that such bypass of lubricant would not be at a sufiiciently high rate to interfere materially with the accuracy of the measured charge.

The measuring device incorporating a piston of theconstruction shown in Fig. 3, operates in the same manner as the device of Figs. 1 and 2, except for the possibility, pointed out above, that some leakage of lubricant may take place under adverseconditions of use, whereas the structure of- Figs. 1 and 2 is such that there can be no appreciable leakage pastthe piston while the discharge valve 54 is open.

centralized lubricating systems employing the measuring device disclosed herein, the devices may be connected to the pressure source in any desired arrangement of piping, since each unit will, upon the increase in pressure from the lubricant source, .operate independently of the other devices,,:and as long as the lubricant pressure is applied for asuflicient length of time to permit all: ofthe devices to-operate, no misoperation of the devices is possible. Due to the fact that the passageways 30 and ,66 may be made relatively large, the return stroke of the piston will be much more rapid than in prior devices where the resistance oifered by the passageway through the piston constituted the solemeans for building up the differential of, pressure on the opposite sides of the piston necessaryi-xto assure the downward stroke of the piston. Furthermore, it will be noted that the resistance .to admission of lubricant to theybearing cannot'afiect the operation of the device of Figs. 1 and 2 as long as the pressure appliedfrom the source of lubricant under pressure is sufficient to overcome such bearing resistance. Evenrwith the construction shown in Fig. 3, there will benoieakage unless the'forces opposing downward movement of the iston are substantially as great as the force tending to cause such downward movement.

While I have shown and described particular embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent f that numerous variations and modifications thereof may be made Without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. I therefore desire, by the following claims, to include within the scope of my invention all such variav tions and modifications by which substantially the results of my invention may be obtained.

through the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

I claim:

1. A measuring device for use in a lubricating system in which lubricant is intermittently supplied under pressure comprising, a body having a cylindrical bore with a lubricant inlet at one end of the bore and a lubricant outlet at the other end of the bore, and a piston structure slidable in said bore between said inlet and said outlet, said piston structure including a piston rod providing difierential effective piston areas acted upon by lubricant under pressure in said bore to move said piston structure first in one direction and then in the other direction, said piston rod having its end projecting from said body and exposed to atmospheric pressure, said piston structure having a relatively large passageway. and a relatively restricted passageway there-' through, a spring pressed check valve operative to prevent flow from the inlet to the outlet side of the piston structure except when a predetermined differential pressure on the opposite sides or the piston is exceeded, and a second check valve in said relatively restricted passageway operable to prevent flow from the inlet to the outlet side of the piston structure, but to permit restricted flow in the opposite direction.

2. A measuring device for use in a centralized lubricating system in which lubricant is intermittently supplied under pressure comprising, a body having a cylindrical bore with a lubricant inlet at one end of the bore, a valve seat forming a lubricant outlet at the other end of said bore, a valve cooperable with said seat, means normally holding said valve away from said seat, a piston reciprocable in said bore, said piston having a pair of passageways extending therethrough-and having a piston rod extending from the end of said body adjacent the inlet port, a loaded check valve for preventing flow of lubricant through one of said passageways in a direction from the outlet to the inlet and preventing flow in the opposite direction unless there exists a predeter- 'mined pressure differential on the opposite sides of said piston, and a check valve in the other of said passageways operable to prevent flow of lubricant from the inlet to the outlet side of said piston but permitting relatively free flow in the opposite direction.

3. A measuring device for use in a lubricating system in which lubricant is intermittently supplied under pressure comprising, a body having a cylindrical bore with a lubricant inlet at one end of the bore and a lubricant outlet at the other end of the bore, and a piston structure slidable in said bore between said inlet and said outlet, said piston structure including a piston and a piston rod connected thereto providing difierential efiective piston areas acted upon by lubricant under pressure in said bore to move said piston structure first in one direction and then in the other direction, said piston rod having its end projecting from said body and exposed to atmospheric pressure, said piston having a relatively large passageway and a relatively restricted passageway therethrough, a spring loaded check valve operative to permit flow of lubricant through the large passageway from the inlet side to the outlet side of the piston when a predetermined pressure difierential on the opposite sides of the piston is exceeded, and a second check valve operable to prevent flow from the inlet to the outlet side of the piston through the relatively restricted passageway, but to permit sufficient flow of lubricant in the opposite direction that the pressures on the opposite sides of the piston may be substantially equalized whenever the lubricant pressure on the outlet side of the piston exceeds that of the lubricant on the inlet side of the piston.

FREDERICK G. SCI-IWEISTHAL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,630,841 F usch May 31, 1927 2,205,320 Teal June 18,1940 

